Hoofd van een vrouw 1923

This is Jean Emile Laboureur’s print, "Hoofd van een vrouw." The lines carve out planes of light, defining the form, like a sculptor modeling with shadows. Looking closely, the texture feels almost like velvet. It’s something about the density and the control of the lines. The hatching in the hair creates depth but also flattens the form. Look how the fringe hangs like a curtain, each strand meticulously placed, and then compare that to the simple, almost childlike rendering of the buildings behind. The woman's eyes are closed, but the lines of her face feel so present, like she could open them any minute. There is a dreamlike quality to the whole thing. It puts me in mind of Giorgio Morandi's etchings – the same quiet intensity, a focus on the process of looking, and the power of suggestion. It is in these ambiguous places that art happens.